OSAKA

The first thing that stood out to me was how different the people in Osaka looked from those in Kyoto and Tokyo.  They had more distinctive features and were more unique even amongst themselves.  They also queue up on the right side of the escalator instead of the left.

It seems as if the further you get from Tokyo, the more relaxed the people are.  Relaxed about walking and smoking.  Relaxed about street cleanliness.  Relaxed about jay-walking.  Although Osaka is only a short 15-minute jog on the shinkansen, it is quite different from Kyoto. Continue reading →

KYOTO

I am really glad that we ended up spending the largest chunk of time in Kyoto.  I enjoyed it far better than Tokyo.  I joked to Spencer before we left for Kyoto that perhaps it would be Bizarro Tokyo (since the letters can rearrange to make ‘Tokyo’ and it used to be the capital).  He didn’t think it was that funny.

The vibe in Kyoto was much more laid back.  Not Thailand-level laid back.  This is still Japan, after all.  But, more people biking around, fewer business suits, and less urgency.  More people meandering rather than rushing.  More strolling conversation than silent cell phone surfing.  More sitting down to eat rather than grabbing a quick bite.

And the shopping…

But I will get to that.

Continue reading →

TOKYO

I won’t bore anyone with the details of traveling from The States to Japan.  It was completely uneventful.  No disaster movie turbulence.  No unexpected delays.  No regurgitation.

After having laid-over in Narita airport on half a dozen occasions, I finally actually entered the country and got a Japan stamp in my passport.  Another item crossed off the bucket list.

Japan…is…amazing. Continue reading →